Press releases

ole – 2005-2010

ole Acquires David Tyson Catalogue

1-26-2006

TORONTO: ole is proud to announce the acquisition of a prestigious collection of songs, including the Rock and Country classic Black Velvet, with the purchase of the David Tyson Catalogue. ‘Black Velvet’ co-written by Tyson was a number #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100 for Alannah Myles and went to number #12 for Robin Lee on the Hot Country Billboard chart. Other songs include the Hall and Oates hit “Don’t Hold Back Your Love, “Beautiful Goodbye” (Amanda Marshall) and “Lover of Mine” (Alannah Myles).

Says ole Managing Partner Robert Ott “We are very excited to be able to work with and cultivate such a great legacy of song. A whole new generation of music lovers is waiting to be introduced to these songs and we intend to aggressively pursue new recordings even as we promote the classic versions.”

Comments Tyson “I am extremely pleased with the knowledge that a collection of songs that were created in the true spirit of music are now in very capable hands. I am doubly pleased that the songs are under the care of a Canadian company.”

About ole:ole is a multi-national, Canadian owned, full-service music publisher. Founded by Robert Ott (former VP/GM BMGMP Canada) and Tim Laing, the company has initial financing of over $100 million dollars. ole boasts an experienced team of some 17 industry professionals involved in acquisitions, creative development and administration worldwide. The ole catalogue includes over twenty thousand songs across all genres. ole has completed some 24.5M in new acquisitions over the past year including purchases of the, Balmur, Encore, Keith Follese, Dream Warriors and David Tyson catalogues. Recent cuts include the lead-off single “Shoes” by Shania Twain from Music Inspired by Desperate Housewives and “He’s Not Even Cold Yet” by Gretchen Wilson. Additionally, ole has concluded publishing administration agreements with film and television producers Nelvana, Shaftesbury Films, Arcadia Entertainment and Slanted Wheel. ole is the Canadian administrator for the prestigious Arc Music Group, a catalogue that includes songs by Jerry Butler, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley and Otis Rush. The company has signed songwriters Gerald O’Brien, John Wesley Chisholm, Ben Dunk and James Huff and struck a co-venture deal with Last Gang Publishing a division of Last Gang Records acquiring West Coast rockers Panurge and Kinnie Star. At ole the goal is to be the home for the best songwriters, composers, management talent and intellectual property investors and the first choice music source for creators in all media.

ole Ventures Into Nashville with Roots Three Music

03-23-2006

TORONTO/NASHVILLE:

Effective immediately, ole is pleased to announce it has partnered with the Toronto-based RGK Entertainment Group for its latest international co-venture: ole/Roots Three Music.

Under terms of the agreement, ole/Roots Three Music has opened a Nashville office in conjunction with RGK Entertainment Group on Music Row and will dedicate its efforts to songwriting and artistic development.

Through this co-venture, ole will finance the development deals that Roots Three enters into and administer the right worldwide. Ole will promote resulting songs for placement in television and film projects and other sync opportunities as well as promoting outside cuts via its songplugging infrastructure.

“The ole/Roots Three Music plan is to develop artists out of Nashville,” says Ron Kitchener, founder and president of Roots Three Music, a division of RGK Entertainment Group.

“We are seeking talented artists, Canadian or otherwise, to develop them in the world’s greatest songwriting community: Nashville. Roots Three Music will utilize a strong network of established writers and these associations will hopefully allow our young writers to grow and blossom into recording artists.”

Kitchener, who will divide his time between Toronto and Nashville, says he hopes to secure two or three signings in 2006.

Roots Three Music currently administers Marquette Ave Music, a catalogue that includes songs written by award-winning Nashville-based songwriter Denny Carr (“Born Again In Dixieland,” ” She Hasn’t Always Been This Way”) as well material written by the Manitoba-based duo of Doc Walker’s Dave Wasyliw and Chris Thorsteinson (“North Dakota Boy,” “The Show Is Free”) and numerous other individual titles.

In total, 131 songs will be added to the ole music publishing rights stable through joint ownership with Roots Three Music, including “Rocket Girl,” the 2003 Canadian Country Music Association SOCAN Song Of The Year written by Jason McCoy and Denny Carr and recorded by 2004 CCMA Group Of The Year Doc Walker; The Road Hammers’ “I’m A Road Hammer” and Jason McCoy’s “I Feel A Sin Comin’ On.”

The new office, located at 1227 16th Avenue South, in Nashville, Tennessee, is currently open for business.

As a result of the co-venture, both Roots Three Music and ole will supply their own Nashville office staff, working autonomously but converging for any and all joint projects. The ole contingent includes Shane Barrett — the company’s current Nashville representative — song plugger Tammy Brown and Norbert Nix, responsible for acquisitions.

Denny Carr has been named Roots Three Music creative director and Kitchener says one more staff member will be hired, with RGK Entertainment’s Toronto office offering additional support.

Kitchener said he was proud to share and participate in ole’s aggressive vision.

“We are excited to partner our strengths with such an internationally driven and focused team as ole,” stated Roots Three Music’s Ron Kitchener. “ole has made significant inroads in a short period of time as a big picture thinking company and we couldn’t be more pleased to align with Rob, Tim Laing and the fine team at ole.

“At RGK we have always been globally driven so this partnership continues that trend of seeking ways to open new markets and revenue streams for country music. Our artists will have opportunities for their recordings and copyrights to be represented worldwide.”

For his part, ole managing partner Robert Ott says the synergy created by the new partnership should generate some exciting new opportunities.

“Ron Kitchener is the foremost talent development force in Canadian country music,” comments Robert Ott, ole managing partner. ” ole is excited to embark on this co-venture with Roots Three Music that brings Ron’s energy and vision to our team.

“ole is committed to country music and to great songs and it’s a perfect fit for us to join Ron’s emerging company at the leading edge of country artist/songwriter development as Roots Three Music and ole expand into the U.S.”

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About RGK Entertainment

Named CCMA Manager Of The Year in 1998, 2002-2005, Toronto-based Ron Kitchener first established RGK Entertainment Group in 1994. A management company representing some of Canada’s hottest and award-winning country music entertainers including Jason McCoy, Doc Walker, The Road Hammers, Corb Lund and Johnny Reid, RGK Entertainment Group also holds interests in recording and publishing properties. Open Road Recordings, founded by Kitchener in 2003, is a successful co-venture label deal with Toronto-based companies Maple Music Recordings and Universal Music Canada that was twice named CCMA Independent Record Label Of The Year in 2004 and 2005. The Open Road roster includes Jason McCoy, Doc Walker, The Road Hammers, Johnny Reid, The Wilkinsons, Adam Harvey and Jake Mathews. Roots Three Music, founded by Kitchener in 2000, represents the Marquette Avenue publishing catalogue and administers the catalogues of Manitoba songwriters Dave Wasyliw and Chris Thorsteinson. The RGK Entertainment Group website is located at www.rgk.ca.

about ole

ole is a multi-national, Canadian owned, full-service music publisher. Founded by Robert Ott (former VP/GM BMGMP Canada) and Tim Laing, the company has initial financing of over $100 million dollars. ole boasts an experienced team of some 18 industry professionals involved in acquisitions, creative development and administration worldwide. The ole catalogue includes over twenty thousand songs across all genres ranging from pop, to country, to urban to rhythm & blues and soul. ole has completed some 19MM USD in new acquisitions over the past year including purchases of the, Balmur, Encore, Keith Follese, Dream Warriors and David Tyson catalogues. Recent cuts include the lead-off single “Shoes” by Shania Twain from Music Inspired by Desperate Housewives, Sean Paul’s “Change The Game” and “He Ain’t Even Cold Yet” by Gretchen Wilson. Additionally, ole has concluded publishing administration agreements with film and television producers Nelvana, Shaftesbury Films, Arcadia Entertainment, Devine Entertainment and Slanted Wheel. ole is the Canadian administrator for the prestigious Arc Music Group, a catalogue that includes songs by Jerry Butler, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley and Otis Rush. The company has signed songwriters Gerald O’Brien, John Wesley Chisholm, Ben Dunk, James Huff and Scarlett and struck a co-venture deal with Last Gang Publishing a division of Last Gang Records bringing West Coast rocker Panurge and Kinnie Starr to the roster. At ole the goal is to be the home for the best songwriters, composers, management talent and intellectual property investors and the first choice music source for creators in all media. The olewebsite can be found at www.majorlyindie.com

ole Forecasts Sunny Days For Lighthouse

Catalogue

TORONTO: ole, Canada’s largest independent music publisher, is proud to announce the purchase of the complete hit library — that’s songs and master recordings — of Juno-award-winning Canadian pop legends Lighthouse.

The deal includes the band’s incredible legacy of such timeless hits as “One Fine Morning,” “Sunny Days,” “1849,” “Pretty Lady,” “Hats Off To The Stranger” and many others. It also incorporates a string of ageless gold and platinum albums that includes One Fine Morning, Thoughts Of Movin’ On, Sunny Days, Lighthouse Live and Can You Feel It.

The agreement also involves the band’s most recent album Songs Of The Ages and an as yet-untitled 5.1 SurroundSound DVD Lighthouse recorded earlier this year.

Known as the band that successfully pioneered the expansion of the typical rock group format to include horns and strings, Lighthouse was formed in 1968 as a 13-piece orchestra by keyboardist Paul Hoffert, drummer Skip Prokop and guitarist Ralph Cole.

Between 1969 and 1974, Lighthouse recorded nine albums, its buoyant and optimistic jazz-inflected melodic rock earning the band three successive Juno Awards for Best Group in the early ’70s (1972-1974.) The collective also enjoyed some success in the U.S., charting five albums and enjoying two Top 40 hits with “One Fine Morning” and “Sunny Days.”

Although the band played such influential festivals as The Isle Of Wight and the Newport and Monterey Jazz Festivals, Lighthouse turned down an offer to appear at Woodstock. The numerous organizations with which Lighthouse collaborated include the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and The Edmonton Symphony. The band also represented Canada at Expo ’70 in Japan.

Eventually the band called it a day in 1975, but reunited as a continuing project in 1992. In 1996, Lighthouse recorded Song Of The Ages, its first studio album of new material in 22 years, scoring a Canadian radio hit with “Remember The Times.”

Some of the 60 members that have flowed through the Lighthouse ranks include Academy Award-winning movie score composer and former Saturday Night Live music director Howard Shore (Lord Of The Rings); trumpeter Freddy Stone (Duke Ellington); singer Bob McBride; noted engineer and trumpeter John Naslen; trombonist Russ Little (Woody Herman, Rob McConnell And The Boss Brass, SCTV), saxophonist Steve Kennedy (Dr. Music, Blood, Sweat And Tears and writer of “When I Die”) and cellist Richard Armin (Armin Strings).

Brenda Hoffert, president of Hoffert Communications, believes the Lighthouse collection of songs and masters has found an excellent home with ole.

“The Lighthouse catalogue represents some of the finest music to come out of Canada so the decision to relinquish it was very difficult, but knowing Robert Ott’s vision and the expertise of the ole team we’re confident we’ve placed it in very capable hands,” said Brenda Hoffert.

“With ole providing support with recordings and publishing, we will increase our performing schedule. In 2007, we’ll be touring China with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra,” he states.

Robert Ott, ole co-founder and managing partner, said his enterprise will do its best to ensure that the music of Lighthouse makes a worldwide impact.

“ole is excited to be working with the great creative legacy of Lighthouse,” said Robert Ott, ole co-founder and managing partner.

“Our team has been extremely successful in adding value to and cultivating our music properties and we’re going to work very hard to ensure that Lighthouse gets the increased, global recognition it deserves.”

about ole

ole is a multi-national, Canadian owned, full-service music publisher founded by Robert Ott (former VP/GM BMGMP Canada) and Tim Laing (former radio and TV producer and finance executive). ole boasts an experienced team of some 18 industry professionals involved in acquisitions, creative development and administration worldwide.

The ole catalogue includes over twenty thousand songs across all genres ranging from pop, to country, to urban to rhythm & blues and soul. ole has completed some 22MM USD in new acquisitions over the past year including purchases of the, Balmur, Encore, Keith Follese, Dream Warriors, Frank Myers and David Tyson catalogs.

ole has concluded worldwide publishing administration agreements with film and television producers Nelvana, The National Film Board of Canada, Shaftesbury Films, Arcadia Entertainment, Devine Entertainment, Lenz Entertainment, CCI, Breakthrough Films, Amberwood Entertainment, Slanted Wheel and Mona Lisa and Suman out of Europe — and recently signed a three-year sub-publishing agreement with DiC Entertainment, the Burbank, California-based independent animation giant.

ole also recently signed its first administration deal with Sound Of Pop, a Toronto-based music publishing company, label and management firm whose clients include Cadence Grace, London Apartments and J.C. Smith.

ole is the Canadian administrator for the prestigious Arc Music Group, a catalogue that includes songs by Jerry Butler, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley and Otis Rush.

The company has signed songwriters Gerald O’Brien, John Wesley Chisholm, Ben Dunk, James Huff, Willie Mack, Scarlett and Derek Brin and struck a co-venture deal with Last Gang Publishing — a division of Last Gang Entertainment — bringing West Coast rockers Panurge, Murray Yates of Forty Foot Echo and Kinnie Starr to the roster as well as Steven Dall. ole recently announced another co-venture with Roots Three Music, which includes songwriters Bruce Wallace, Chris Thornsteinson, Dave Wasyliw (of Doc Walker), Denny Carr (The Road Hammers and Doc Walker).

At ole the goal is to be the home for the best songwriters, composers, management talent and intellectual property investors and the first choice music source for creators in all media. The ole website can be found atwww.majorlyindie.com